𝐊𝐈𝐒𝐒 𝐌𝐄 ━━ 𝐣𝐨𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐢

EIGHTY

"Oh my God, play!" Rachel cut him off. And that's how he started to play. First, there was fun accompaniment before the animal sounds were added. Thankfully, it lasted a mere thirty seconds with an explosion in the end.

"Boy, you know, th–that was, uh..." Monica didn't know what to say. None of us did. "That was...terrific." She clasped her hands together.

"Really...bitchin'." Joey nodded his head.

"Wow! It was so...wow!" Phoebe strained a smile.

"I really loved the...The Sound." I gave him a thumbs up.

"Really? I mean, really?" He wiped his hands on a napkin he kept in his pocket.

"Oh, yeah! I mean...you should...play in public." She struggled out.

"Wow! Thanks, you guys! That's, oh...oh, I want to play you another piece." He held onto his keyboard. "Um...oh! I left my helicopter sounds on another disk." He stood up. "I'll be right back, okay? Oh, this is...this is so nice. I mean, I am so..." Ross just glanced back at us and left.

"God bless my dad for soundproofing the basement." Monica looked up at the ceiling for a moment.

"I can't believe I ever let him touch me with those fingers." Rachel sat down on the armrest of my chair.

"What are you guys talking about? I loved it!" Phoebe exclaimed. "It was so moving. Oh, plus, it–it's so different from the stuff you usually hear." She detailed.

"You mean music?" Joey asked her. The next night, Ross got a gig to perform at Central Perk. The coffeehouse.

"Electrifying...infinite time...time...time...time...time..." Ross sang in a distorted way.

"You know, there's a Starbucks about three blocks down." Monica turned to look back at me, Rachel, and Phoebe. Rachel and I quickly nodded our heads.

"He's so inspired." Phoebe gently pushed Monica back against the sofa. "Just look at him. Look at him go." She actually liked this. The song finally ended with an explosion. There was some polite applause.

"Thank you, New York...New York...New York..." He echoed out before taking off his headpiece.

"Aren't you up next?" Monica glanced over at Phoebe.

"Oh, no. I'm not playing night." She set down her mug on the coffee table.

"Why not?" Rachel furrowed her brows.

"I can't follow Ross. Are you kidding? That would be like those poor bicycle–riding chimps who had to follow The Beatles. No." She shuddered.

"Phoebe, Ross sucks." Monica informed her.

"The place is empty because of him, Phoebe." Rachel pointed back at the few lingering customers.

"Oh my God, he's not even appreciated in his own time." She shook her head in disappointment. "I would give anything to not be appreciated ini my own time!" She buried her face into her hands.

"What is that even supposed to mean?" I was completely and utterly confused.

"Okay. Um, Phoebe...you suck, too." Monica let her know.

"Yeah, Phoebe, you're...awful!" Rachel sighed.

"You make this place completely empty. Even Gunther doesn't stick around." I smiled at her gently.

"You guys." She wrapped her arms around our shoulders. "'Yeah, you suck, too'." She rubbed our arms. The next morning, we were at Central Perk again.

"Hey, Chandler. Saw the new furniture. Very nice." Ross pat him on the back.

"Yeah. Joey has the best boyfriend ever." Monica smiled sarcastically.

"I saw Joey kiss Kathy." He confessed to us.

"My God! Are you serious? You have got to be kidding me!" They exclaimed while I stood up.

"P–Please tell me you're lying." My voice broke.

"Sorry, Suparna." He looked at me sadly.

"You're lying. Joey didn't kiss another girl. He couldn't have. He–He's too nice to that. I–I–I..." I couldn't get any coherent words out of my mouth.

"Get her a bag." I couldn't even tell who was talking. Someone handed me a brown paper bag, and I held it up to my mouth. I started to breathe through it, in and out. Once I calmed down, they took me upstairs to the girls' apartment. Everyone was there, except the one I wanted there.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" Rachel pet my hair.

"Joey didn't do this. He couldn't have done this." I stared off into space.

"Careful. She might blow again." Chandler warned them, making me send him a glare.

"You still love him, don't you?" Monica was sitting on the edge of the coffee table in front of me.

"Of course I do. Am I supposed to fall out of love in three weeks?" I sniffled.